The Lights in the Field
by annamorphos
Summary: Alice Cullen is perfectly content with her life-living in a small town, home schooled, despised by the general population of Forks-however, one night alone in her tree house changes everything. Who is Jasper Hale, and why was he naked in the wheat fields? AU-Human... er, kind of. Canon Couples. On long term hiatus.
1. Ambiversion

The water rippled as my feet penetrated its surface, and I sighed when the cool temperature brought goose flesh to my bare skin. The little stream was located in a shady part of the forest, surrounded by the bases of the giant neighboring redwoods, offering the wildlife a reprieve from the summer's violent heat wave. It was unnaturally hot that August afternoon; it had been getting progressively worse throughout the last four years.

I idled briefly in the water and bent forward to glance at the tiny world below me, examining the flitting minnows and the curious turtles. Smiling softly, I wondered if the fish recognized the taste of my skin or the lines of my feet. After all, I had been coming to this spot every summer since I was fourteen. _Then again_, I pondered wistfully, _I'm sure the fish have better things to do than examine a foot…I know I would, were I fish._

That was all the encouragement I needed for my imagination to take off.

I couldn't decide if I would prefer to be fresh water or salt water, were I a fish that is. I was fairly certain that fresh water fish had the propensity to live longer, given the lack of predators. However, as I ventured on through the woods, I quickly denounced that idea after hearing the screech of an owl. Tree birds loved fresh water fish. _Of course_, I thought happily, _the little minnows must have a glorious view. To think of waking up and seeing the sun through the trees…it must be lovely! _But that wonderment was thrown away just as quickly, seeing as the sun can be outright painful to look at and the sight gets a little repetitive.

The path had become rocky and a bit rough, at which point I decided to change, from the dainty sandals my mother had given me, to the tough boots my father had urged I take with me. The brown knee length boots weren't ugly, but were, by definition, strange. Their surface was caked with mud, sand, paint, and bits of hay. If anything, these boots were a reflection of me as a person.

My real name was Mary Cullen, the third child born to Carlisle and Esme Cullen. However, my love for Lewis Carroll's stories of Wonderland had earned me the permanent title of "Alice." I had two siblings—Edward and Rosalie—and got along with both of them beautifully. In humble truth, I was the apple of my family's eye and was protected by every one of them. Unfortunately, this truth did not extend to general populous of their town.

My family lived in Forks, Washington—a town with more gossip than people. The most recent Census had estimated the population count to be well under eighteen hundred people, which didn't really justify the tininess of the town. Even though my father—Dr. Cullen, to the people of Forks—was a wise, skillful surgeon and physician, the townsfolk weren't above starting rumors. It certainly didn't help that his youngest daughter was a bit of an odd ball.

The bullying began subtly, as these things do, with the children repeating what their parents had said. However, seeing as adolescents are naturally somewhat sociopathic, things quickly went from bad to worse. It ultimately ended when Edward and Rosalie defending their sister, me, in a rather violent fashion, and Esme decided that the public education system wasn't good enough for her children.

I wasn't dumb or challenged in anyway. In fact, prior to my extrication from Forks High School, my grades had made me one of the best students in the school, followed closely by the love of my brother's life—the kind, soft-spoken, Bella.

Bella and I had met through a buddy program in the seventh grade, and it had been friendship at first sight. We complimented each other in every way imaginable; Bella allowed me to dress her in whatever she liked, and I allowed Bella to sketch and write about me. We were also there for one another when life became too overwhelming and the only cure was a shoulder to cry on.

As I affixed the boots on my feet and continued on with my journey, I smiled when I thought about my friend. Bella would've joined me, but she had a difficult story that she needed to have completed by tonight if she was going to make her deadline. I also knew that Edward was planning on paying Bella a visit tonight. The two of them were so in love with one another, but were completely unaware of each other's feelings. It had been like that for almost two years, and I was starting to get annoyed with them.

Climbing over the rocks was easy for me, since I'd been visiting this place for the past four years. Even if my father hadn't insisted I take my boots, I still would have been able to scale the rocky hill without injury. However, I could move faster with the extra protection, so I was happy to oblige.

Once I passed the rocky terrain, I dusted off my boots and smiled when I spied the beginning of the fields belonging to the Denalis. They were a family of women—three sisters—who were kind, accepting, but a bit reclusive. Rosalie, my mother, and I had taken to baking cookies for them every holiday. Because of my kindness, and their fondness of my headstrong, airy spirit, I was allowed to wander through their land unattended. My father always said it was hard for anyone to deny me anything once they got to know me.

I moved through the thin, wispy plants and put a little hitch in my step as I came closer to my destination. Just beyond the southeastern part of the Denali wheat field was a tree house that the late Mr. Denali had made for his daughters. After his passing, the sisters tried to maintain it, but it grew difficult and soon fell to disrepair. That was until I came into their lives.

I had discovered the structure during one of my ventures into the wilderness, and had taken it upon myself to fix it up. It had taken me four trips to the hardware store, a few extra chores for more money, and some minor cuts and scrapes, but it had paid off. By the end of the summer, I had not only fixed it up but made it better.

The Denali sisters were tickled at what had occurred without their knowledge, and gave me permission to use the tree house in whatever way I saw fit. So far, I had used it for sleepovers with Rosalie and Bella, study sessions, a retreat when life got me down, and solo camping, which was why I was there. My parents had made me promise that I was to run to the Denalis' home, should anything happen.

As I moved through the field, my eyes finally found what I was anticipating; the tree house. The stairs curled around the base of the thick tree trunk, giving access to the elaborate structure. I had painted the wood a deep mahogany color, so it would blend in during the night time. I stopped at the base and took a deep breath, marveling at the work I had done. It was only a temporary pause, and I promptly giggled and flew up the steps.

It was the same as it had been the week prior, when I'd come up with Bella. The two of us had spent the entire night talking about boys and nonsense. I had encouraged my friend to open up to Edward, to tell him how she really felt. Of course, Bella had given me her normal reply—stammering heavily and blushing feverishly.

As the sun started to trace its way down behind the trees, I started unpacking my satchel. I rolled out my sleeping bag, fluffed my pillow, changed into my pajamas, and arranged my schoolbooks nearby. My cell phone was flashing and I found my mother had texted me, asking if I had made it safely. I gave my mother a response before turning my phone off. I wanted the full experience of camping tonight.

The next hour was filled with me pouring through my textbooks, making sure the notes I'd taken were accurate. I had finished going over my math and history when my stomach started to grumble. Without skipping a beat, I unpacked the meal I had brought with me—baked chicken, potatoes, some fresh vegetables, and a side of apple pie for dessert. Esme had set aside some of their meal from the previous night for me; she didn't want me to wake up hungry in the middle of the night.

After practically inhaling my meal, and washing it down with water from my canteen, I had just enough time to flip through a few fashion magazines before having to switch on my flashlight. I sprawled out on my sleeping bag and listened to the forest come alive. There were the calls of the cicadas, shrill and sporadic, as well as the screeches of the night birds, fleeting and haunting.

As the song of the forest grew stronger, I felt my eyelids grow heavy and I soon fell fast asleep.

A few hours later, I was awakened and stared curiously around the tree house. In all the times I had stayed here, I had never awoken during the night. I scanned the inside of my dwelling and was relieved to find that no one had intruded during my slumber, but I was confused why I had woken up. I sat up and wondered if I should peek outside when I noticed something strange. The woods had fallen silent.

Seeing how I'd never been awake while in the tree house, I couldn't decide if this was normal or not. As I sat up and rubbed my eyes, I immediately noticed that something was not right. Instead of the blackness that normally engulfed Forks at night, there was a soft blue glow coming from outside.

I debated momentarily on what I should do. There was no way I would be able to go back to sleep, but investigating might lead to trouble. The light from outside seemed like it was pulsating, and it was starting to make me a little nervous. However, regardless of my trepidations, I got on all fours and crawled to one of the openings. I deftly pulled back the curtains a tiny bit, moving slowly so as not to attract attention, and glanced out the window.

What I saw made me gasp.

The Denalis' wheat field was littered with multiple orbs of light, each one a different size and color. They hovered at random distances above the crops, but didn't appear to be moving much. As I raised my eyes, noticing the sky above appeared was covered with them as well, I caught myself sighing at the splendor of the sight. It was breathtaking.

This revelry was short lived, though. The reality of the situation set in, and I felt myself panic a bit. What were these lights? Was it an optical illusion, or something else? Was it a good omen, or a terrible warning? My skin erupted into goose flesh as I internally questioned what I was seeing, and an errant thought suggested I make a run for it. However, I had never been a coward and resolved to stay put.

As the seconds ticked by, I noticed that the lights had started to change; they were all pulsating and appeared to be gravitating towards one another. They ghosted over the field and unified to create a giant ball of light, brilliant and near blinding. I tried to continue watching it, but, after awhile, it became too bright and I was forced to close my eyes.

Even behind my eyelids, I could see the light growing in its luminosity, and could hear a slight hum floating through the air. The bumps on my arms had spread exponentially, encompassing my entire body, and with it came a sharp tingle. The unknown had always excited me.

And then it was over.

I opened my eyes and noticed that the lights had vanished completely, and the humming in the air had ceased. The forest was still silent however, and I knew that this was a sign that the wildlife was still on alert. As I let my eyes scour the field, I spied movement in the center of the corn stalks.

I tensed up, but only temporarily. Realizing it must be a mouse, or possibly the Denalis' house cat, I relaxed and shook my head. I had no explanation for what I had just seen, and wasn't sure that I wanted one. What I had just witnessed had been magical and spectacular; I didn't need any scientific reasoning ruining the beauty of it.

I shifted away from the window and was about to lay back down, when the rustling sound caught my attention. I was immediately back glancing out the window, peeking out of the curtains at the stirring foliage in the field, and noticed that something was heading in my direction. My stomach knotted and I mentally started coming up with contingency plans of escape. I had a baseball bat with me, so I was definitely prepared should I encounter violence, but I had never travelled through these woods at night.

I glanced back at my cell phone and wondered if I should call my parents, or Edward. However, none of them knew the forest as well as I did, so they would probably end up getting lost. I considered calling Emmett, my sister's boyfriend who lived two farms down from the Denalis, but remembered Rosalie saying that not even an earthquake could wake him up.

Whatever was moving in the field was almost to the tree house, and I was getting genuinely frightened. What if it was a drifter? Or a bear? I realized that a bear would be the best case scenario, seeing as the door had a lock on it.

_The lock! _

I quickly jumped up, rushed to the heavy door, and padlocked it. Carlisle had purchased the most expensive lock imaginable for me, after it was apparent that I wanted to spend nights alone in the tree house. Although I thought it was silly at the time, I told myself to hug my daddy later…if I saw him again.

Meanwhile, the rustling outside had stopped, and I moved as quietly as possible to look out the window. Just as my eye found a crack in the drapes, the strands of wheat parted and a solid form stepped out. I pulled back a little, trying to hide my face in the shadows, and gasped when the figure moved into the moonlight.

Although he was on the ground, he was close enough that I could make out the majority of his features. His hair fell to his shoulders—blonde, given the way it shone under the moonlight—and his skin glowed iridescently blue. While it was difficult to truly gauge his measurements from where I sat, I could tell he was tall by comparing him to the size of the crops; he had to be at least six feet in height.

However, the most shocking part about him was that he was naked.

I caught myself blushing as I traced the contour and shadows of his nude, lithe form. Even though he was partially masked by the night, I could tell his body was pleasing to look at. I averted my eyes quickly when he shifted to the side, revealing the outline of his back and front side, and stifled a giggle. While other seventeen year old girls had some level of experience with naked men, I was definitely not one of them. The only exposure I'd had to male genitals was through the text books in middle school.

When my gaze returned to him, I was relieved that he had shifted again and was facing the Denalis' home. The stranger began to stretch out his arms and legs, bending at the waist as a runner would before a big sprint. I knew that it was rude to stare, but I couldn't help it. I was fascinated by this man who had come out of nowhere.

_No. _I shook her head and frowned. _He came with the lights._

After a few minutes, the man stopped stretching and lifted his hand to the sky. A small orb of light appeared before him, similar to the ones I had seen earlier. I squinted at the brightness, and could hear the man begin to speak. His voice was deep and melodious, bringing a tickle to my stomach that could only be described as butterflies. I smiled and let her eyes close, hoping to catch a bit of what he was saying.

However, there was something off about his speech; he wasn't speaking English.

Now, I knew better than to assume that every person on Earth spoke my language, but I had a deep love for foreign movies and was familiar with many different languages. This didn't sound like French, Italian, or any others I'd encountered. In fact, it sounded more like pairings of hisses and squawks than a normal language. The man's jargon almost reminded me of tree squirrels chattering, only deeper and more pleasing to the ear—if that made sense.

What was stranger was that the orb of light appeared to be responding to his bizarre sounds. The same meaningless noise came in rapid procession from the illuminated ball, which blinked when it made a sound. Despite my vast linguist placement skills, I was at a loss as to what language this was.

After a few minutes, the luminescent ball disappeared and the man vanished back into the fields. I followed him with my eyes, watching for the movement and disruption of the plants, and breathed a deep sigh when I decided he was far enough. Without stopping myself, I fell backwards and wrapped both arms around my knees.

Once again, I briefly considered heading home, but knew I wouldn't be able to make it on my own. I glanced back at my cell phone and considered calling someone, but the list of people was short and problematic. Bella would get lost or hurt herself, Edward would get lost and upset, Rosalie would get lost or break a nail, Carlisle was working a night shift at the hospital, and Esme would get lost and forbid me to come out here again. So, without stopping to think if he'd wake or not, I called Emmett.

It rang three times before a very groggy voice said, "Mphfello?"

"Emmett?" His voice was so muffled that I had to make sure I had dialed the right number. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," he confirmed and I could hear him groan. "What's up, Ally?"

"I'm sorry for calling," I said and softened my voice, realizing that the stranger may have doubled back and be listening. "Could you do me a huge, amazing favor?"

"Depends," Emmett said, yawning. "What is it?"

"I'm at the tree house," I said meekly, feeling guilty for waking him up at three in the morning. "Is there any way you could pick me up and drive me home?"

"The tree house?" His voice became a little clearer, and I could tell he was a little miffed. Emmett thought of me as his baby sister and had never liked the idea of me camping alone. There had been one occasion where he had camped in a tent a few yards away, after hearing about an escaped convict on the loose. He took no chances in regards to me. "Is everything all right?"

"Um, kind of," I hedged, not wanting to divulge what I had seen. "I just think it's best if I head home—maybe try for another day."

"How about with someone else next time?" Emmett suggested, clearly disapproving of me being there alone. However, as he sighed heavily, I could hear the squeak of his mattress as he got out of bed. "All right, I'll be there in about ten or fifteen minutes—don't leave the tree house until I get there, okay?"

"Okay," I agreed, nodding. "Thanks, Emmett—I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it," he said before disconnecting the line.

I knew that if I was idle for too long I'd start getting nervous again. So, I immediately started packing up everything I'd brought with me. I had just thrown everything into my backpack when I heard Emmett's unmistakable grumbling from below. I giggled and listened to him.

"I can't believe I'm marching through the forest at three in the morning," he griped and she could hear him start to climb the steps. "I'm glad she called but, damn. If she does this again, I'm going to set her tree house on fire."

A knock came at the bottom of the tree house and I climbed down, shivering when I saw the spot where the man had been standing. I followed Emmett down the stairs after locking the door behind me, and we started through the woods. There was a road not far from where we were, and, after about five minutes of walking, we were climbing into Emmett's old jeep.

"So," he said as we drove towards my house. "You've spent many nights out there before—what was different about tonight."

I debated internally about whether or not to tell Emmett what I had seen. The town had pretty much written me off as a kook, and I couldn't stand the idea of my sister's boyfriend thinking the same about me. Even though I knew he was different, I couldn't bring down my wall enough to open up fully.

"I don't know," I responded with a shrug. "I guess I just got spooked or something."

"So, you're not going to tell me, then?" He grinned when I gave him a semi shocked look. "All right, keep your secrets, Ally—just know that I'm always here for you."

"Thanks Emmy," I said and leaned my head on my broad shoulder.

We stayed like that for the duration of our trip, and hugged each other when he dropped me off at my front door. Emmett was very protective over me, had been since the day we'd first met. Sometimes I wondered if it was odd that he felt a stronger bond with me than with Rose. It wasn't a sexual or romantic feeling whatsoever, but he did tend to look out for me more. According to him, Rosalie was a strong woman and capable of taking care of herself.

Everyone was fast asleep when I got in, and I was able to slip up to my room without waking anyone. I briefly thought about checking in on Edward—especially when I noticed his bedside lamp was still on—and finding out what happened with him and Bella. However, I decided that was best saved for the next day and headed upstairs.

My family's home was an ornate, three story house, which Esme, mom, had restored prior to Rosalie being born. Esme and Carlisle's room was on the first floor, Rosalie and Edward on the second, and me on the third floor.

The third floor used to be the attic, however, when I had turned fourteen, I had wanted a larger space. So, Esme had commissioned to have the attic altered for her youngest daughter. The room was large, with a massive skylight—so I could sleep under the stars—as well as my own bathroom. After only a day or two of being up there, I had transformed it into my own personal haven. While I did have light fixtures, I preferred to light the space with discarded Christmas lights, and Bella had painted a mural on one of the walls for my sixteenth birthday.

The mural was something I had drawn once; a collage of images I'd collected from my own dreams. Everyone had been skeptical, mainly because it was so bizarre and eclectic, but somehow I had known it would come out lovely, and so it did. In fact, Bella had taken a picture of it to use in her portfolio when applying to art school.

I decided I'd unpack my backpack in the morning, and, after changing into a new set of pajamas, I curled up in my bed and fell asleep. That night, the only subject of my dreams was the strange man who had come with the lights.

They were very good dreams.

* * *

_Author's Note: Repost. _


	2. Confluence

My alarm clock woke me up at eight-thirty and I cursed myself for not remembering to switch it off. As I turned over and started to drift back into dream land, the delicious aroma floating up from the first floor was enticing enough to rouse me from the comfort of my bed. After slipping on my robe—the one covered in flowers, not the teddy bear one—and following my nose downstairs, I found my mother, Esme, standing at the stove. She was in her bunny pajamas, preparing breakfast for the family.

"Oh," she exclaimed in surprise, when I hugged her around her waist. "I wasn't expecting you until later. Is everything all right?"

"Yeah." I sat down at the table. "I just wasn't feeling the whole camping thing after all, I guess."

"You didn't walk home in the dark, did you?" Esme's brow indented heavily and she crossed her arms over her chest. While she allowed me the freedom to spend my time doing whatever I pleased, she didn't approve of me travelling through the woods at night. "You know how I feel about that, Mary."

I blanched at the usage of my birth name and laughed. "No, Mom. Emmett gave me a ride home."

"Really?" Her face visually relaxed, and she returned to the stove. "Well, that was very nice of him."

"What was nice of who?" Edward yawned as he entered the kitchen, stretching and scratching the back of his neck. We were fraternal twins, and while I knew that meant we weren't identical, I couldn't overlook how different we really were. He had an unruly mop of bronze hair and green eyes; I had straight, black hair and amber colored eyes. At six-foot-two, he was also over a foot taller than me. As he took a plate of food from our mother and ruffled my hair, I couldn't help wonder why he was so tall and I … wasn't. Regardless, we were the best of friends and ignored the rumors around town—the ones accusing Esme of philandering. "You're here earlier than usual."

"Didn't stay the whole night, Emmett drove me home," I responded with a shrug as Esme placed a pile of pancakes in front of me. After dousing them with a layer of maple and blueberry syrup, I left them alone to soak up the delicious flavors, and turned my attention on my brother.

"Doesn't he hibernate this time of year?" He lifted his head, the right side of his mouth lifting up in a smirk. However, upon noticing the look on my face, he narrowed his eyes immediately. "Don't start, Al."

"Oh, come on, Edward," I said and rolled my eyes, frustrated with his uncanny ability to predict what I was going to say; it was almost like he could read my mind. "What did Bella say?"

"Bella?" Esme looked blank, even though I had filled her in on Edward's plan two nights earlier. "What about her?"

"Seriously, Mom?" I shook my head and pointed at Edward who was so focused on his pancakes; he looked like he was attempting to disappear into his food. I was shamelessly embarrassing him, and he knew it. "Edward's in love with her!"

"Alice," he warned, his ears starting to redden. "Please, stop."

"He was supposed to go over last night and talk to her," I continued, regardless of the annoyed pleas of my brother. "So, I'm wondering how it went."

Silence fell on the kitchen, and we both looked at Edward expectantly.

"Fine," Edward grumbled, but he couldn't help smiling when he filled us in on his night with Bella. According to him, he'd arrived before she had come home from her shift at Newton's sports goods. He had spent a good amount of time talking with Chief Swan, her father, which I had advised him on. "I'm taking her to dinner and a movie this Saturday."

I clapped and squealed, while Esme cooed at the sight of young love, which made Edward hide his face behind his hands. The entire family had grown to love Bella—she and her father were so kind and generous—and were waiting for Edward to get up the courage to make a move. On several occasions, Esme and Carlisle had pointed out how well they complimented one another, and I had even predicted that the two would marry before college.

"It's just a date, okay?" Edward looked at me intently. "No fortune-telling, no interfering, and keep your thoughts to yourself—she's nervous enough as is."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I flipped my fork in the air, feigning ignorance and taking a bite of my pancakes. "Oh, by the way, you should wear your black slacks, the light blue polo, and those shoes I got you for Christmas."

"Alice," Edward moaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm begging you."

"What?" I threw up my hands and unleashed Edward's personal form of kryptonite. "Bella told me she loves that outfit on you."

He was quiet for a few moments. "She really said that?"

"Yup," I answered, adding emphasis on the "p."

Edward nodded, a speechless acquiescence for me to help him prepare for Saturday, and the three of us ate in silence.

I was used to styling the entire family—I'd been doing it ever since I turned fifteen. Everyone generally trusted me when it came to fashion, but some of them drew the line. Rosalie, for example, would only allow me to purchase certain things for her. We usually shopped online together to avoid altercation over wrongful purchases. It was a sort of bonding experience for the two of us. We were so different.

After breakfast, I retreated upstairs to unpack and think about everything that had happened only five hours earlier. I couldn't get the image of the strange man out of my head, and I wondered where he had disappeared to. The last time I had seen him, he had moved back into the wheat fields. A bit of panic rushed through me when I wondered if he had broken into the Denalis' house, but I remembered Tanya's extensive firearm collection, and I felt better.

When the three women had first moved into their father's farmhouse, they had encountered a bit of trouble from the younger generation. Several teenagers would sneak into their barn, have drunken binges in the fields, or if they were brave enough, they would actually break into the main house and steal from the sisters. After the first two incidents, Tanya had convinced Irina and Kate into acquiring handgun licenses. Less than a month later, Tanya forced three teen boys from her home with a shotgun, and she held them on her property until Bella's father had arrived.

Needless to say, no one stepped foot on their property again.

Regardless of their vast assortment of protective devices, I considered going for a visit with Edward and Emmett in tow. However, a knock at the front door broke my internal revelry and forced me downstairs. I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the first floor and saw Tanya Denalis standing in the foyer. She was the youngest of the Denali sisters; at thirty-five, she looked damn good. However, despite the attraction she garnered from the local men, she refused to date. Rumor had it that she and her sisters had run a brothel of some kind in Seattle but had retired and closed up shop. Then again, that sounded like the kind of false gossip born in the social circles of Forks—the very same that had called for my head on a metaphorical silver plate.

My first fashion magazines and advice had come from Tanya, and since then, I had gone over at least once a week to talk haute couture with the women who had traveled extensively in Europe. As I hugged the tall, slender blonde woman, I admired the subtle stylistic ensemble she was wearing.

"Well, good morning, Sunshine," Tanya said and patted my cheek. "It's so good to see you."

"You too," I responded and glanced at Esme. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Tanya was just inviting us over for dinner tonight," Esme said, smiling. "Her nephew has moved in with her, and they would like to get him some socialization."

"The poor dear." Tanya chuckled and shook her head. "He's been all cooped up for the past week. I'm afraid he's a bit shy around strangers."

I was quite skeptical about this nephew Tanya was speaking about. I couldn't shake the feeling that she was bending the truth; especially since I had been over there four days earlier and hadn't seen anyone new. I hated thinking that my friend was being distrustful, but I couldn't simply ignore it. Something didn't feel right.

"Wonderful," Tanya answered cheerfully and clasped her hands together when Esme said we'd be over for dinner. "We'll see you about seven, then?"

"Sounds perfect!" Esme agreed. "I can't wait to meet your nephew."

"Mom?" I approached Esme after Tanya had said her goodbyes, in hopes of avoiding the dinner party all together. I needed more time to find out about the lights I had seen, as well as the stranger that came from them .Then again, I was also out of my mind with exhaustion. "I'm not feeling too well. Would it be okay if I forego Tanya's soiree?"

"Are you sure?" Esme was shocked, possibly because it was out of character for me to miss any form of visit to the Denalis' home. Since socializing with students from the public school system was out of the question, this was the most interaction I received—other than spending time with Bella. "You know the Denalis will be expecting you."

"I know," I responded, guilty I would disappoint my friends. "It's just that… I got home at around three-thirty this morning. I'm tired."

"Well," Esme said, her chiding tone making an appearance, and she crossed her arms. "Whose fault is that, Mary? You know I don't like you going off by yourself … it's dangerous."

I sighed; I'd had this conversation many times with my mother.

"What are two of my favorite girls arguing about?" Carlisle, Esme's husband and my father rounded the corner wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a black t-shirt. He had been at the hospital for the past seventy-two hours and was now off for a day and a half—something the entire family looked forward to.

Carlisle was younger than Esme by three years—he was forty-one, and she was forty-four, but they both still looked extremely youthful. There was a joke among the nurses at the hospital that Dr. and Mrs. Cullen were blessed with eternal youth and would never age. This, of course, was preposterous and nothing more than a story created by giggling women, but it was still fun to poke at him about.

"Alice got in at around three this morning," Esme explain with a frown while my dad poured himself some coffee. "She hasn't gotten enough sleep and wants to miss the Denalis' dinner for their nephew."

I loved my mother—that was something that could never and would never be contested—however, I never did approve of the way she would almost shame me into doing something I didn't want to do. Apparently it was a mom trait, because Bella had claimed her mother used the same tactic with her.

"Oh, I don't think they'd mind," Carlisle responded and winked at me. "Alice is over there once a week—I'm sure they'll give her some leeway."

"But this is different," Esme insisted and gave Carlisle _the look_.

I had seen my mother give my father _the look_ on several occasions; it signified a need to discuss something behind closed doors. Sure enough, after a few seconds of silent combat, they stood and headed upstairs to speak about God knows what. Unfortunately for me, my father always caved after these little powwows. So, as I heard the door to his study shut, my face fell, and I knew there was no way I was getting out of going to dinner.

I ambled upstairs and found myself outside of Rosalie's door, knowing I should probably start fighting her wardrobe choices early. I found her sitting in front of her large, ornate vanity mirror, brushing her long, blonde hair, looking more like Lady Godiva than a high school student. She smiled slightly as I entered her room, and her eyebrows arched in curiosity.

"Looks like we're going to the Denalis' tonight," I said. "I thought I'd come up and see what you wanted to wear." Experience had taught me that if I made it seem like she was in control, she was more pliable.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Let me guess—they purchased something obscure and wish to show it off."

"Close. Their nephew just moved in and they want to get him some socialization." I snickered, but not at her or my own comment. Rosalie was considered the most beautiful girl in town, but the Denali sisters were the most beautiful _women_. My vanity conscious sister hated being second to anyone, regardless of their age. "Well, you know the drill. I was thinking blues and grays tonight."

She turned around and twirled a strand of her shiny hair on her finger. "I approve."

"Good." I nodded, slightly surprised by her acceptance. Rosalie and I had clashing fashion senses, and this usually meant we'd have hour long debates on what the family should wear. Having her agree this quickly was strange to say the least, but I was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I trust you can find your own outfit?"

There was a flash in her eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had surfaced, and instead of lashing out at me, as was her usual way, Rose chuckled. "I think I might be able to find something."

"Good," I commented, and after gazing around her massive room, I headed out the door. "See you in the foyer at six-forty five."

Later that evening, I found myself, as well as my entire family, standing on the porch of the Denalis' massive home. Edward looked suspiciously at ease. He typically hated social interactions with the Denali sisters—Tanya always made him uncomfortable with her racy stories—but he looked like he was as mellow as a cloud. _Probably has something to do with Bella._

The door opened and Tanya stood there in a knee-length, burgundy dress, which accentuated her subtle curves. She greeted each of us individually and praised me on the look of the family's wardrobe. She and her sisters were quite aware of my position as the Cullen family dresser and adored me for it. On rare occasions, I had been called over to assist the sisters with choosing their own clothes. It was a funny secret we shared.

"I'm so happy you could all come on such short notice," Tanya whispered as if it was a secret, and she guided us toward the den. Kate and Irina, Tanya's sisters, were speaking softly on the sofa, but they turned and greeted us as we joined them in the large room. "Our poor nephew had been here for two weeks and had yet to venture of the house."

My ears perked up, and I cocked my head to the side in confusion. "Oh, I didn't see him when I was here earlier this week."

Tanya faltered for a second but gracefully recovered with a smile. "Yes, he's very shy, dear—he was up in the attic the majority of the time."

I didn't but that for a second.

"Well, that's lovely," Esme commented and took a seat beside Irina. "I didn't know you had another sibling."

"Yes," Irina said sadly and sighed. "Our eldest sister, Sasha, died when Jasper was very young, and he's been living with his grandparents ever since. However, we finally decided he needed to be around people his own age."

"How old is he?" Carlisle asked.

"He's seventeen," Kate interjected and crossed the room to put a book away. "He'll be eighteen mid-September."

"Will he be going to Forks High?" Edward implored, seeming to be interested in the potential new student. It wasn't surprising; since my ousting from the public education system, Edward had become somewhat of an outcast as well. The only one he did hang out with was Emmett, Rosalie's boyfriend, but they didn't really have much in common aside from their love of baseball.

"You know, I'm not sure," Tanya answered and shook her head. "His grandparents home-schooled him and I'm not sure how far he is in his studies."

"So where did he come from?" I was quickly becoming more and more curious about this boy who had apparently hid in the attic to avoid me. Every question asked about his daytime whereabouts was met with answers of home activities. It almost seemed as though they were making excuses for him, or trying to hide him.

_Maybe he has a third eye, or a missing limb._

The easy conversation came to an abrupt halt when a delicious smell began to permeate from the other room. Tanya happily announced it was time for supper, and we all migrated out of the living room. My family had been to the sisters' home may times, so we required no guidance to find the dining room. It was down the hall, take a left, cross the secondary sitting room, open the sliding doors, and voila! You were there.

However, as we walked through the open doorway, I stopped.

There was a person carrying plates to the table—a man with golden hair. He stopped what he was doing to smile at me, revealing perfect teeth and a pair of gray eyes that twinkled in the light. I felt my breath catch in my throat, but not because I was captivated by his beauty.

_He's the one that came with the lights. _It had been dark outside the tree house, so I wasn't sure how I could identify him. It was just something I felt, something I knew.

The room around me began to spin, and it seemed as if the space was growing darker. Was someone turning down the lights? Dimming them somehow? The strange man's face morphed suddenly from pleasant to confusion. I tried to fight it, tried to stay grounded in reality, but it was almost impossible. When his face changed to horror, I succumbed to the blackness and felt myself fall backwards.

* * *

_Author's Note: This story is on a long term hiatus while I rework the plot. _


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